Our Forest School

Forest School is an inspirational process that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees and shrubs.

Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.

At Forest School all participants are viewed as:

• equal, unique and valuable
• competent to explore & discover
• entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge
• entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development
• entitled to experience regular success
• entitled to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people
• entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with their natural world

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This learner-centred approach interweaves with the ever-changing moods and marvels, potential and challenges of the natural world through the seasons to fill every Forest School session and programme with discovery and difference. Yet each programme does also share a common set of principles, aimed at ensuring that all learners experience the cumulative and lasting benefits that quality Forest School offers.

All classes will be taking part in our Forest School programme, where they will be working on further developing their literacy, language and social skills through first hand experiences. It will last for 5 weeks per class and will offer children the opportunity, over repeated visits, to engage with the rich natural diversity of the outdoors to help build confidence, sensitivity, resilience and curiosity. This in turn will inspire and consolidate our learning within the classroom. The children will be keeping a Forest school diary.

What to wear

To take part in these sessions your child will require the following clothing on the day of each session:

• Wellington Boots/ Old trainers
• Old tracksuit bottoms, an old t shirt, an old jumper, hat, gloves and scarf
• Waterproof coat and waterproof trousers.

Please take into account the weather forecast prior to each session. We will be taking part in the sessions whatever the weather. Ensure that your child has appropriate clothing; lots of layers for cold weather and waterproofs for wet weather conditions. Please expect your child's clothing to come home dirty after each forest school session.